Sign



May v22, 14923# 1,456,230

s. H. FURRY SIGN Filed May l5 1921 INVENTOR. 5, /zfP Far/y A TT ORNE Y.

Patented May 22, 1923.

UNITED sTATEsN .SAMUEL H. FURRY', OF LANCASTER, OHIO.

y SIGN.

AApplication filed May 16, 1921. Serial No. l70,118.

T all fr0/10m it may concern.' Be it known that I, SAMUEL H. FURRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Fairfield'and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Signs, of which the following is a specification.

'This invention appertains to certain improveniente in signs generally, and more particularly to a type of the same adapted for usev as a railroad crossing signal sign, and capable of being controlled from a distance, as from a'moving car or train. The principal object of the invention is to provide for a signal sign of the class mentioned, and one embodying, in addition to the usual words of warning as now used on 'railroad crossing signs and which must be read by pedestrians or operators of road vehicles, certain movable and audible signals to be actuated from the oncoming tra-in at a distance from` a particular crossing, and which willbe continuously actuated until the train has reached and passed the cross- 2-5 ing.v

Another object of the invention is to provide for an electrically operated warning Asign of the type mentioned, and one embodying certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts whereby, while being particularly designed for use as a vrailroad crossing signal or warning sign, the same is capable of a moregeneral use, especially for 4general advertising purposes, and, in the use thereof as a railroad crossing signal sign, it is adapted to be operated from any ofthe known forms of track signal circuits under the control of the engineer or motorman of either steam or electric railway systems.

`With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the certain novel and useful construction and arrangement of'parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and set forth in the appended claims, `in which:

F ig. 1 is a front elevation of the sign per se, Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section taken on the line-7 7 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a vfragmentary section taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 1,

Fig. i is a rear elevation of-a modified form of the interchangeable letters used on the sign, y

F ig. 5 is an edge view of the latter.

Referring to the drawings, wherein simi- Y lar characters of reference designate vcorresponding parts in the severalviews thereof, the improved sign comprises a frame 10, preferably formed of heavy strap iron bent into substantially rectangular or oblong form, having its opening closed by a sheet of fabricated material 11, preferably of' wire of any suitable or desired mesh, and secured to the sheet 11, to one or both sides of the same, are readable words of warning such as are now employed on known forrnsV of railroad crossing signs. These readable words of warning are preferably arranged as follows :eginning at the top of the sheet 11, and horizontally thereof as shown in Fig'. 1, the first line comprises the words Double track; the second line Railroad crossing, the third line, Warning in larger letters than that used in the rst two lines of the wording; and the fourth line, Stop-Look- Listen.l The words double track? are used only when the sign is to be used at the crossing of a doubletracked railway, and the word single will be substituted for the word double, when the sign is to' be used on a single tracked railway, or, in the latter instance, the reference to theftype of track may be eliminated entirely. The letters', from which the words are to be formed, when assembled on both sides of the sheet 11 of the sign., are to be constructed .of sheet metal, preferably cut to form substantially rectangular plates 12, on one side of which the individual letters of the alphabet are to y be printed, embossed, or otherwise applied thereto. In this instance, the rear vfaces of the complemental letter plates`12, to be positioned on the opposite sides of the sheet 11 of the sign, will be opposed one to the other with `the sheet 11 between the same, and clamped in registry One with the other by means of suitable fastenings, preferably in the` form of screws or bolts 13 being passed through sets of alining openings 14, formed in the plates 12 for the purpose. When only one side of the sheet 11 is to be provided with the words of warning, or advertising matter as the case may be, similar let-tered plates 12, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, will be used, and the same are to be held in proper position-onthe sheet 11 by means of fastenings, such as spring clips or the like 15 carried on the rear' faces of the plates, and adapted to engage over the wire section forming the base of the sheet. In any case, the several letters of a line of wording are properly alined one with respect to the other by having all of the fastenings of the same engagingl the alined mesh openings ofthe sheet 11 of any particular horizontal line oflsuch L mesh openings.

For use at night, the sign is preferably illuminated, as shown, and by means of a suitable number ofl velectric lampsy (not shown). carried in a reflecting housing 1G, which is supported medially of the upper v l,side bar of the frame 10, the reflector housr or `pinion 35, carried at one end of the shaft Vwa s of the intersecting roadway.

ing being arranged to throw the light Vbeam from the saine downwardly of one or both side faces of the fabricated sheet 11 vof the sign, and, if necessary, two of theseilanip housings may be provided, one at opposite sides of the sign. The lamps of the `housing, or housings, 16 are preferably lighted from a` local source of current supply (not shown).

In the use of the sign, thus constructed and arranged, at railway crossings, the saine is adapted to be suspended to one side of thev railroadtrack and directly loverv and cross- Current is ed to the lamps of the housings 16 by vmeans of a conductor 23, and by a conductor 2 4l leading to ya control switch, not shown. `The conductors 23 and 24comiiiunicate with a suitable source of electrical energy. The switch may be located at any desired point for the cutting on and off of the lights.

v The preferred embodiment of .the sign is to be provided with both audible and visual signal devices, and lfor suchpurpose, the

lwire mesh sheet 11 is cut away centrally inward of the lower side thereof to provide a semi-circular opening 27 having its edges secured to a .similarly shaped frame 28, also vof strap iron or the like, and formed medially of the Aupper horizontal side of the frame 28 is a transversely ldisposed bearingr 29, in which is journaled the shaft or spindle 30 of a signal armv34, which is arranged to lbe oscillated within the 'opening to either side of its normally vertical depending position, through the medium o f a pitinan rod 31 connecting the saine, as at 32, to a large gear 3 3 arranged in mesh with a small gear of asmall electric motor 36 connected with a suitable source of electrical energy, gears 33 and 35 and the electric motor 36 are supported at one of the lower corners of the sign `ductors 23 and 24, by conductors 42 `and 43,

respectively to a pair of contact fingers 44 and 45, carried on a bracket arm 46 extendinginwardly of the bearing 29,. andwhich are arranged to bear on a pair of contact rings 47 carried on and insulated from the shaft 30 of the signal arm 34; Conductors 49 and 50 lead fromthe contact rings 47 and 48 to the lamp 41 at the lower end ofthe arm 34. n

Located in theopposite lower corner of the sigiiframe 10, is an audible signaldef vice 51, preferably inthe form of an electric bell, and the latter is connected yin cirv cuit with the motor, by a suitable conductor not shown. The circuit being closed in any suitable mann'eror from any suitable point,

the motor is drawninto operation whereby the signal arm is oscillated and at the. same time the audible signal which i's in circuitv with `the motor will-be sounded.v

It is well understoodvthat, while the in- I.:

vention has been described and illustrated rherein iii specific terms and detail ofv construction, arrangement and assembly of parts, various modifications and changes in the saine may be resorted to without departing ing independent of said letters, said sheet havingopennigs for said signaling dei'fiijes.

2. A. sign comprising a foraminous elevment, lettersv adapted to be assembledl on lopposite sides of said element to v'provide each side thereof with a' caution indication, means for securing said letters in position, audible and visual signaling devices mounted at 'the lower portion of said element for directing attention to said caution indica,- tions, and means for illuminating vsaid caution indications, said means arranged at the iipper portion of said element.

3. A sign comprising an open frame, a foraminous sheet of material mounted in the opening formed by and secured to the `frame and cut away to provide openings, letters 5 adapted to be assembled on opposite sides of said sheet to provide each side thereof with a caution indication, fastening means for securing said letters in position, means supdported from the frame and spaced from sai letters for illuminating said caution indications, and signalingv devices, supported by the frame Within said openings for directing attention to said caution indications.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature hereto.

SAMUEL H. FURRY. 

